Tragic actor John Ritter was supposed to be a presenter at tonight’s Emmy Awards.

But the lovable, 54-year-old Emmy winner and star of the hit ABC sitcom “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” died Sept. 11 after suffering a dissection of his aorta, a rare and often undetectable condition.

So it’s only fitting that the awards show will pay a special tribute to the beloved funnyman, best known for his role as skirtchasing Jack Tripper on the smash ’70s sitcom “Three’s Company.”

The touching tribute will lead the segment during which stars who died this past year are honored.

But the award show’s producer, Don Mischer, said they’re “still grappling with how to pay tribute to” Ritter.

“There’s no one who will be in the house that night who won’t be thinking of John. His death was a shock to us all. He was held in such high esteem, and the question is, ‘How do we do this?’ ” Mischer said.

“This is a work in progress . . . . He has to be acknowledged individually in some form.”

Making the tribute to the late stars more difficult is the show’s stand-up theme. Instead of a host, there will be a slew of comedians, including Conan O’Brien, Ellen DeGeneres and Brad Garrett, doing bits.With Post Wire Services